Chapter 136 – The Princess, Elena (1)
On the other side of Xian, where the voice came from.
When I turned my gaze, there was a woman sitting there.
Blonde hair that resembles sunlight.
Dignity and dignity felt in between.
“long time no see. Princess.”
Princess of the Empire, Elena.
At Xian’s greeting, Elena lightly nodded.
Before long, Elena took the teacup from the table in her hand.
The subtle scent of tea blooms along with thick eyelashes that calmly settle down.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you since I was kicked out of the territory… It’s been almost 3 months?”
Elena smiled and smiled at Xian.
Is it because of the cold impression unlike the bright smile?
The contrasting atmosphere was quite alluring, yet also charming.
A look that would make every man’s heart beat at least once.
“·······”
But Xian couldn’t think of it that way at all.
Xian said, not showing it as much as possible.
“If anyone who doesn’t know hears it, they’ll know that I really kicked out the princess.”
“oh. Wasn’t it?”
Then, Elena was a little surprised and asked back.
And as if he really didn’t know, he opened his eyes wide and looked at Xian.
“·······”
Xian was speechless for a moment at Elena’s reaction.
Elena, who visited Ruben the other day.
But let alone Leah and Elena’s troubles.
To be precise, it was Leah’s one-sided grunt… Well, anyway.
Even the Royal Knights and Ruben’s soldiers had trouble.
There was a time when I told Elena to leave Ruben, who had been having accidents all day.
Of course, Elena didn’t cause the accident herself.
As a result, Xian had driven out Elena and the imperial family.
but.
“It is a misunderstanding. How am I supposed to kick out the princess?”
Strictly speaking, Xian didn’t kick him out.
Elena went out on her own.
Elena lightly nodded at Xian’s non-excuse.
I didn’t really do anything rebuttal or refutation.
He just brought the cup he was holding to his lips and sipped.
“okay.”
And then it was over.
‘······ sh*t.’
Seeing Elena like that, Xian muttered to himself.
“You’ve been looking bad since before… Are you uncomfortable with the seat?”
Are you saying that?
It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was just a cushion of thorns.
That’s why it’s not like it would be comfortable to reunite with the person who gave you the face!
It was also the royal family who gave the face-off.
I really wanted to leave my seat right now.
But I couldn’t bear to do that.
‘With the ＜Elodie’s Quest＞ privilege open, to prepare a place for Dark Elves to live…’
Now that the Dark Elves have been accepted as territories.
You have to expand your territory, and you have to build a house.
What to eat, what to wear, what to drink, etc.
Even if you hit a rough calculation, millions of gold are lightly steamed.
But the money in hand right now…
[Current gold coins] – 82.000G
82,000 gold.
Xian forced a smile and opened his mouth.
“It’s not that being with the princess is uncomfortable. However, since my body has not fully recovered yet…”
“ah···.”
Then Elena let out a small exclamation.
Elena lightly put down the teacup she was holding.
“I heard you did a great job this time.”
An event that turned the entire northern part of the empire upside down.
Of course, not many people knew about it, as it was still kept quiet inside the imperial palace.
The extent to which the high-ranking aristocrats of the imperial palace knew about it.
However, the princess belonged to such a high-ranking aristocracy.
So Elena knew.
What happened to the North?
What kind of ripple effect did that bring on the empire?
Even what the empire would have been like without Xian.
Star of the New Empire.
This is what the story is now even coming out.
“His Majesty also showed great interest in Confucius.”
Elena looked at Xian quietly.
An atmosphere that seems to be somewhat bewildered.
He didn’t seem to be the one who solved the northern case at all.
Marquis’ madness.
incompetent bastard.
These were the rumors surrounding Xian.
But in reality, it wasn’t like that at all.
Crown Prince, Conrad’s favor, of course.
Now, the existence that even receives the attention of the emperor, the Valois family.
Have there been nobles like this in the meantime?
Elena was able to shake her head at once.
Let’s put the crown prince’s favor aside.
However, the emperor’s interest diverged.
The Emperor seldom pays attention to anyone.
At least the emperor Elena watched was like that.
Of course, things about the great and the small of the empire.
The circumstances of numerous aristocratic families.
The emperor paid attention to these things and knew them well.
However, that was only his job as an emperor.
There were literally few beings who had a ‘personal’ interest.
Maybe… it could have been the first time.
Kai Elandur and Fanat Lorsilt, who were called the stars of the empire.
Even with those two, the emperor had no ‘personal’ interest.
Xian, who had an audience with the emperor.
What did the emperor see in Xian?
Elena looked at Xian and slowly opened her mouth.
“There is something I want to ask you, Confucius.”
“Tell me.”
“I heard that Confucius took his own punishment for the dark elf forest keeper.”
“That’s right.”
“May I ask why you did that?”
Xian tilted his head at Elena’s question.
I couldn’t understand exactly what Elena was saying.
Do you know Xian’s feelings?
Elena immediately opened her mouth.
“The dark elf forestkeeper has committed an indelible sin against many people, especially the northerners of the empire.”
“This is not what Aslandis-nim did.”
“It’s what his son did. And it just didn’t happen, if it wasn’t for Confucius, the forest keeper would probably be by now…”
Elena did not finish her words.
But Xian knew what those incomplete words were.
“But it didn’t happen, did it?”
“Even so, the hatred of the Northerners for the Dark Elves remains the same.”
And whatever happened.
From the point of view of the northerners, the Dark Elves were no different from the enemies of Cheolcheonji who killed their families.
Northerners tremble when it comes to Dark Elves.
And the empire that represents those northerners.
From the point of view of the Empire, the Dark Elves were sinners.
“Why did you go out for the Dark Elves anyway?”
Xian looked at Elena for a moment.
Elena’s eyelashes calmly subsided.
The clear eyes shining through them were all looking towards Xian.
“Did I really need to embrace the sins of the dark elves? Are you asking that?”
“To be honest… yes.”
Elena’s gaze, which had been looking at Xi’an, turned slightly downward.
No other expression was seen.
However, Elena’s feelings that are visible through the eyes.
There was a clear rebuke and doubt.
A bit of reprimand for why he covered them.
The question of why he bothered to embrace them and incur the resentment of the people of the empire.
Well, from Elena’s point of view, it was possible.
And it wasn’t that Elena was wrong.
I wonder if even Conrad was quite surprised and expressed concern.
Even so, the reason I accepted the Dark Elf…
well.
I do not know.
“Because he was just like me.”
I wanted to do it like this for now.
Elena quietly looked up.
There was a clear question in Elena’s clear eyes.
“Similar to Confucius…?”
As expected, Elena asked dubiously.
Instead of answering, Xian gave a small smile.
Then he took something small from his inventory.
“What does this look like?”
Elena looked at what Xian was holding out.
A round-shaped coin that glows gold.
“Gold coins… isn’t it?”
Xian gently nodded.
“you’re right. Then do you know how much this gold coin is worth?”
Elena’s elegant eyebrows twitched slightly.
I hope you don’t even know that much.
Even though she was a princess who lived without worrying about money, she didn’t know that much.
“It is worth 1 gold. To be precise, I can say that it is worth a day’s living expenses for an average family of four.”
Xian was slightly surprised by Elena’s answer.
That’s because he didn’t know that Elena knew this much.
Most nobles do not know the value of gold coins.
Exactly, I don’t know how much value it has to the common people.
Because they have no reason to care about the common people.
If you ask 10 nobles, 8 will.
But even more so if it’s a princess…
Elena was united with a sense of duty as a princess.
To be honest, I thought it was a bit silly and just a superficial idea.
Rather, it seemed that Xian took Elena lightly.
Xian nodded slightly and leaned forward slightly.
What do you want to do?
Xian inserted a gold coin into the cake on the table and pulled it out.
A gold coin covered in thick whipped cream.
“Then how much do you think this is worth?”
“Yeah, it’s the same 1 gold.”
As if asking for something obvious, Elena answered right away.
“The gold coin was stained with whipped cream.”
“That’s it, just wipe it off and that’s it.”
“okay.”
Sian nodded once more.
Kwajik this time!
Gold coin folded in half.
Elena’s eyes widened.
Xian calmly continued the question.
“Then how much do you think this is worth?”
Elena looked at Xian without a word.
To be precise, Xian looked at the folded gold coin.
Gold coins folded like paper.
Elena paused for a moment before answering.
“······ It’s still 1 gold.”
“It can no longer be called a gold coin because it has been folded in half.”
“Because I can smoke again. Since you folded it with your bare hands, can’t you make it bloom again?”
“hahahaha···.”
Xian opened the folded gold coin with a shy smile.
Then, the gold coin found its perfect form again.
But that’s for a while.
Tsutsutsu…
Soon, a dark aura rose from the gold coin, and it was a blast!
The gold coin lost its shape and instantly turned into gold dust.
“…!”
Elena’s eyes opened even wider than before.
Elena didn’t know much about Aurors.
But what Xian did now.
It was clear at once that this was not an easy task.
I don’t know, but there are royal knights patrolling outside the terrace.
If you ask them to do it, they won’t do it 4 out of 10.
Aura management superior to that of the Royal Knights.
“Then how much do you think this is worth?”
However, Xian only asked calmly.
Elena stared blankly at the scene and opened her mouth.
“······ It’s the same 1 gold.”
“There is no form of gold coins anymore.”
“Only the form has been lost, because the gold inside is the same. Gold dust is still worth 1 gold. What do you want to say?”
Elena frowned slightly and said.
Xian only then showed a small smile.
“I have bet everything on this gold coin. I smeared it with whipped cream, deformed it by folding it in half, and even pulled the aura and pulverized it so that I couldn’t even imagine the shape of a gold coin.”
Xian calmly lowered his gaze.
A golden powder piled up on the palm of your hand.
It was no longer considered a gold coin.
“Nevertheless, the princess said. This gold coin is still worth 1 gold. I mean.”
Before long, Xian’s gaze returned to Elena.
“Then why?”
Xian’s words continued like that.
“Even this mere gold coin does not lose its value despite all the tricks. Why do you think people lose their value?”
Elena’s eyes widened once again.
And it was a surprise in a different sense than before.
“Do you think Dark Elves shouldn’t live because they could be tainted with the mana of darkness at any moment? Do you think people lose their value just because of that?”
Xi’an’s words sounded like they were stuck in my brain.
“The value of this mere gold coin does not change.”
My body froze, and it hardened.
Dazed, Elena was unable to utter a word.
Gold dust piled up in Xian’s palm.
Gold powder that has lost the form of gold coins.
However, if you ask the value of this gold dust, it is still 1 gold.
You can collect gold dust and melt it again to make gold coins.
Then it becomes a gold coin with the same value of 1 gold.
Even if it gets dirty with whipped cream.
Even when folded in half.
Even if it completely shatters the form.
No matter who does all kinds of tricks.
This doubloon is still worth 1 gold.
“You asked why I embraced the sins of the dark elves.”
Xian spoke slowly.
“A moment’s mistake can lead to a sin. You may be frustrated by the wall you can’t get over. You may despair over something you can’t do. Maybe there are times when you want to end your life. but.”
Maybe because you look like me
In the past, when I was in the family.
The memory of young Xian was only contempt and persecution.
He was despised by his family for his terrible talent.
Because of his status as an illegitimate child, he suffered persecution.
That’s why I can’t move forward.
I didn’t think so either.
The marquise’s madman, an incompetent bastard.
so i can’t
People like me don’t deserve to go.
Because there was a day when I thought so.
But Xian was able to realize.
Xian was able to know in the countless things he had been through.
No matter what tricks and defilements.
no matter what anyone says
“The intrinsic value of a person is not compromised.”
As if the value of this gold coin was not damaged.
so.
“You just need to get your body back up again. Then, just brush off the dust on your body and move on again.”
However, the person concerned does not think so.
I’m just sick and tired of feeling guilty about myself.
So I wanted to let you know.
to Aslandis.
to the dark elves.
only.
“That’s all.”
Xian carefully put the gold dust accumulated in his palm into his inventory.
and.
“·······”
Elena still couldn’t utter a word.
What, I had nothing to say.
I couldn’t think of anything to say.
mind goes blank
No thoughts come to mind.
different.
The nobility of the empire that Elena had seen so far.
The many lords that Elena had encountered in the past.
It was different from them.
Different yet so different.
The bowl itself that holds people is so… different.
There was no sign of pretense at all.
A statement that comes from the heart.
It was a vessel that could not be considered as a mere lord of the territory.
I didn’t even think of him as a mere nobleman.
This is… this is indeed…
That’s why Elena was able to understand at once.
Why does Conrad love Xian so much?
Also, why is the emperor interested in Xian?
Elena blankly stared at Xian’s face for a while.
And Xian met Elena’s gaze.
‘What’s wrong?’
Xian wanted something.
After asking the question, Elena’s expression suddenly froze.
It looks like it was hit hard with a hammer.
‘Come to think of it, His Highness said the same thing at the banquet hall the other day.’
Are siblings brother and sister?
‘Even if they resemble each other, they only resemble strange things.’
Couldn’t it be that Charlotte was like that too?
Xian only shrugged once.
How much time had passed like that?
As if Elena had come to her senses, her eyes returned to focus.
But somewhere, the eyes that were looking at Xian twinkled.
‘This… I can’t believe it.’
The moment I thought of it.
Eventually, Elena slowly opened her mouth.
“If you don’t mind, can I ask you a favor?”
“If you talk about getting married, I will decline in advance.”
Xian’s answer followed immediately.
“·······”
Elena was speechless for a moment.
Of course, I had thoughts of marrying Xian.
A being whom the crown prince favors and the emperor takes personal interest in.
In addition, Elena was able to solidify that idea by seeing Xian’s appearance just now.
So maybe…
The usual Elena would have brought up the topic of marriage right away.
But not this time.
My older brother… I mean, Conrad told me not to do that.
If you’re sane, I told you never to do that.
And may Conrad give advice on love between men and women.
Making a kite slowly and building friendships is the first thing.
Conrad had advised that.
That’s why this time, I didn’t want to bring up the topic of marriage.
“Couldn’t it be… did you really ask to get married?”
But what now…
Elena was once again speechless at Xian’s absurd expression.
Are you saying that this was a car without even confessing?
Well, it’s possible because of the image I showed you the other day…
Whatever it is!
“·······”
A bewildered expression.
And this time, for some reason, I feel bland.
Elena opened her mouth involuntarily.
“Why? Everyone wants to marry me. Although my brother and His Majesty objected, everyone withdrew.”
“I know we’ve met twice now.”
“How many times is it important to get married?”
Doesn’t it matter?
Xian hadn’t been married yet, but he knew this much.
‘But didn’t we talk about this the other day?’
I think it was.
‘Anyway…’
Sian shook his head inwardly.
“Anyway, if it’s about marriage, I’ll decline in advance. Any other requests are welcome.”
“all right. Then I won’t ask you to marry me.”
Elena let out a small sigh and said.
“Can I go to Confucius’ manor to play?”
“It’s not possible.”
“Aren’t you too determined?”
There was no knife answer like this.
Isn’t this enough that I didn’t even think about it!
Elena was once again speechless.
No, to be honest, what is the reason for refusal?
It’s not like we’re going to get married.
It was just a request to be surprised at the territory.
To be honest, wouldn’t it be something to welcome the princess if she said she would go out to play?
“Absolutely not.”
But what is the reason for this refusal?
Elena’s confused expression.
Sian shook his head without a word.
That would be too.
‘Ruben’s going to be a piece of sh*t again!’
Because when Elena came to Ruben, the damn situation was clearly drawn!
For once, Leah wouldn’t leave Elena alone.
Leah is the younger sister of Arnaise’s leader, Charlotte.
Charlotte’s descendant, Elena, could be said to be a distant descendant of Leah.
And from the experience of the past day.
Leah doesn’t like Elena as much as Arya, the saint.
It was obvious that he would crave Bonama and Elena.
The Royal Knights who couldn’t see that would come out again.
Eventually, there will be a fight with Leah.
It was clear that it was going to be very sh*tty.
In the process, Leah will come to you every day to kick Elena out.
‘no way.’
From nob le mt l. co m
Just thinking about it already made my head throb.
And that’s all.
The princess is the noblest being in the empire.
She was also a princess whom the crown prince and the emperor cherished dearly.
A woman like that walks through Ruben’s estate?
I don’t know if you know it, but all the residents of the territory must be very nervous.
It was clear that I would be uncomfortable every moment without doing my job properly.
Youngji might stop operating for a while.
Then the gold he earned that much might stop.
So you have to block it.
I don’t know why Elena wants to come to Ruben, but I had to stop her from coming to Ruben.
“You can think about it.”
“hmm···.”
Xian was lost in thought for a moment.
and.
“It’s not possible.”
“really···.”
Elena raised her eyes and said.
“You said you’d be willing to do anything other than marriage?”
“I will correct it. Marriage and coming to the manor. Anything other than those two.”
“It’s because I want to eat the refreshments I had last time. I keep thinking about the taste of that refreshment, so I can’t eat the food in the imperial palace.”
“As soon as I return to Leuven. We will make refreshments and deliver them quickly by express delivery wagon.”
“Refreshments are the most delicious when they are freshly baked and hot.”
“There is an excellent magician named Jerry in our territory. We are currently researching heat preservation tableware, but as soon as the research is finished, we will send it to you first.”
Elena shut her mouth tightly.
Then, I quietly glared at Xian.
No other expression was shown.
However, Xian couldn’t erase the feeling that Elena was angry somewhere.
silence for a while.
“Then I can’t help it.”
Eventually, Elena shook her head as if she couldn’t help it.
Xian let out a sigh of relief.
‘Why do you seem to be slightly offended…’
Still, I couldn’t help it.
Elena shouldn’t be offended when she comes to Ruben.
Even if I get a little hatred, I’ll end it here…
“Twenty million gold.”
Elena’s voice was heard for an instant.
“I was going to persuade Your Majesty well and give you 20 million gold as a reward for this job, but… I can’t help it.”
tall.
Xian’s thinking stopped.
and at the same time.
Tring!
“I, I, that woman must be crazy!!!!!”
The notification window of the seizure mobile lord came to mind.